Monthly Archives: January 2014

Five Tips for Lowering Your Winter Energy Bills

At GetzschmanHeating and Air Conditioning, we know energy bills can get pretty pricey in the winter. That’s why we put together this list of things you can do to lower your heating bills. These are small investments now that will pay off this year, and for years to come. Here are the top five:

Windows & Doors

Leaky windows and doors let the cold air into your home and allow warm air to escape causing your furnace to work harder and your energy bills to increase. Caulk around doors and windows can weather and crack, so check to make sure they are sealed properly. If not, add new caulk or weather stripping. These items are inexpensive compared to the amount of heat lost through leaky windows and doors.

Insulation

Most homes don’t have enough insulation. Check your walls, floors and attics for places to enhance your insulation and keep more heat inside your home. Garages, crawl spaces, basements, and attics are unheated spaces that are all usually lacking. Insulation is a small investment that will keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. It is affordable and easy to install.

Programmable Thermostat

With today’s busy lifestyles, many people are not home during the day, but your furnace runs like you are. You can save money by lowering the temperature when no one is home and also when people are sleeping. The problem is remembering to do this every day. With a programmable thermostat, you can set a schedule for raising and lowering your temperature automatically every day. The system is convenient because you can easily override the schedule if your plans change and you are home. Just choose the programmable thermostat that makes sense for you:

·7-Day – lets you to program each day individually.

·5-2 Day – allows separate settings for the weekdays and weekends.

·5-1-1 Day – lets you to set one schedule for the weekdays and separate schedules for Saturday and Sunday.

·1 Week- lets you to set one schedule for the entire week.

Whole House Humidifier

Most Omaha homes are too dry in the winter. Static shock, dry, itchy skin, and bloody noses may be signs of low humidity. Raising the humidity level will not only alleviate these problems, but will also make the air in your home feel warmer. Because humid air feels warmer, you can reduce the temperature in your home by a couple of degrees and not even notice, thus, saving you money on energy bills. Let Getzschman install a humidifier in your home.

Get a Tune-Up Each Year

When your furnace is tuned-up, it is operating at peak efficiency. This helps to save you both energy and money on your utility bill. Tune-ups also ensure that your furnace is safe from dangerous carbon monoxide leaks.

For more information about programmable thermostats, tune-ups, or humidifiers, call Getzschman and one of our friendly consultants will explain your options and save you money. If you’d really like to find out where your home is losing energy, Getzschman can perform an Energy Evaluation which can give you rebates for energy savings. Call Getzschman today and start saving money tomorrow.

Furnace Smells – How to Identify Them and When to Be Concerned

Your furnace can emit many different odors. Some furnace smells are normal and some could signal danger. At Getszchman Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ve smelled them all. We’ve compiled a list of common furnace smells and what they could mean. These are in the order of least dangerous to most potentially dangerous.

Dusty – this is the most common smell we hear about because it happens in almost every home with a furnace. This smell usually occurs at the beginning of furnace season when the furnace is turned on after months of inactivity. Dust accumulates during the summer months and when the furnace starts to run and heats up, it burns this dust off causing the somewhat familiar odor. It generally only lasts an hour or two.

Musty – musty odors can be caused by mold trapped in the furnace filter. If you have a humidifier, it could also be mold in the humidifier filter. Check both of these filters and clean them or replace them with fresh filters. If the smell doesn’t go away, you may have a moisture leak which is causing mold inside. Call a heating and cooling company to find the mold and diagnose the problem.

Smoke or Oil – If you have an oil furnace, the oil filter inside your unit can get clogged. If you smell oil when your furnace turns on, try changing this filter. A smoke smell can mean a chimney is blocked. Call a heating and cooling specialist to clean the chimney.

Electrical Burning Smell – this smell is also potentially dangerous. It could mean a blower motor is overheating, a heat exchanger is cracked, or wiring is bad. This is a potential fire hazard. Sometimes, a child’s toy caught in the register or something spilled in the register can cause this smell as well, so check your registers first. If you find nothing out of the ordinary, call a heating and cooling professional for a furnace inspection.Rotten Egg or Sulfur – this smell is one to be concerned about. Natural gas has no odor, but because it is dangerous to humans, a scent is added specifically to make it noticeable when there is a leak. If you smell a rotten egg smell, it could be a gas leak. This is potentially extremely dangerous. If there is a gas leak, a small spark of any kind could cause an explosion, so vacate your home and call the gas company ASAP.

Having regular maintenance will keep your system clean and running efficiently, which will also save you money on energy bills. By keeping your furnace mechanically sound, you will avoid any foul odors or potential dangers. Call us at Getszchman Heating and Air Conditioning for a furnace tune-up. We’ll be happy to come inspect your furnace for safety and efficiency.